Just like in September and October, Farmers begin regrouping in Mandya.
The Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC), which held its sitting on Thursday in New Delhi with central government officials and representative of the four states, ruled that Karnataka should release 4.8 TMC water to Tamil Nadu till December 30.
Following this order, the farmers in Mandya taluk have started regrouping to launch protests. It may be recalled that in September-October period the farmers had carried out protests, which had affected normal life in Bangalore, Mysore and Mandya districts for more than 15 days
Cauvery Hitarakshana Samiti president Madae Gowda was fuming when DNA contacted him for his reaction. He said, “Central government has not understood the ground reality in Karnataka. Over 11 lakh hectares of agricultural land under sugarcane and paddy do not have enough water, and as a result farmers have left thousands of acres fallow. In some areas, they were sowing millets in traditional paddy and sugarcane fields.
“Do you know the effect of this? You people who mix sugar in your coffee will find sugar prices have gone up, certain variety of rice will be out of market, cities like Mysore and Bangalore will have no water to drink.”
Stopping short of going into a fit, Gowda, who is nursing a frail health, said, “I am writing a letter to the prime minister, chief minister and all the 28 MPs of the state, with special paragraphs to those four MPs representing the Cauvery catchment area to see for themselves the ground realities. A few officials of the CMC had taken this decision without understanding the recent happenings.”
He pointed out that “Tamil Nadu was flush with water, so much so that many people have died and their fields have been inundated. Fifty two checkdams and main dams were filled to the brim and their canal network was also full. As a matter of fact that state was releasing water into the sea,” he added.
“If the chief minister of Karnataka is unable to resist the directions of the central government, we will storm the KRS and Kabini dams and lock the control room ourselves,” Gowda said.
Another farmer leader and Mandya Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi chief Nanjunde Gowda told DNA, “Our brethren are now free as the first harvest of sugarcane and paddy is over.
This order has come at a wrong time and shows the ignorance of the CMC about the water situation in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “ He said he will be holding talks with various farmer leaders on Friday and decide on future course of action.
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